


We're Shooting Stars

by Kittyluv2000



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), M/M, Mutual Pining, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-10-21 04:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10677399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittyluv2000/pseuds/Kittyluv2000
Summary: A police officer with a prosthetic arm, a ballet dancer, a chef, a tech nerd, and a mechanic with a burning curiosity for cryptids have to work together with a princess from another plane of existence and her five glowing lions in order to save the world. From what? Shadowy monsters from yet another plane of existence. Everyone's freaking out, the mechanic and the nerd are enjoying themselves a little too much, and they're all slowly getting the hang of sleeping on command. (Because here's the catch: All this saving the world stuff only happens when they're asleep.)





	1. Prologue: A War Cry

“Lions, you  _ must  _ choose new Paladins soon.” The Princess says quietly but sternly meeting gazes with each of the softly glowing Lions in front of her. The red one with fur like rippling flames grumbles low in her throat derisively. “I  _ understand _ that you have specific preferences, however we cannot fight this war without soldiers. The Galra are growing stronger by the hour.” This time, it's the black Lion, fur speckled with stars, who speaks up. She roars as quietly as she can, sending ripples through the odd substance surrounding them nonetheless. That's the thing with the Astral Plane. Anything you do sends ripples through it, the physical embodiment of the Butterfly Effect. Allura sighs,shifting on her throne in order to get comfortable. Her hair, billowing behind her in a cloud as if she were underwater, shifts as well, reflecting sparkles of light from her five Lions off into the air. “Yes, I know that much has changed. I  _ know  _ that it is more difficult for Galra to escape into this new world due to how much light the humans put off. But the fact is that Galra are still escaping, and wreaking havoc at night. It is  _ our _ job to stop them. Now go, all of you. Find new Paladins as quickly as possible.” Five loud roars show the Lions’ agreement, and to the rest of the Astral Plane, the sound is an announcement. The Lions are searching for Paladins once more. This war will be waged. Those roars are a war cry, and Altea will not fall again. Not now that the Princess has awoken. 


	2. Chosen Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the Lions' perspective, we see how each Paladin is chosen, and a bit of each Lion's personality.

__ The Blue Lion’s gaze is patient, calculating but not cold, as she watches the one she has been considering to be her Paladin. He is…silly, most certainly, but she has seen his other facets with his family and by himself. He is charismatic and friendly enough that, if he weren't so quick to make a joke or a jab at someone instead of offering advice, the boy may have already been taken by the Yellow Lion. As it is, though, Blue has beaten Yellow to the punch, and the larger Lion has found her  _ own  _ Paladin. One who gets along spectacularly with Blue's chosen one. 

_ Perhaps he's just what I'm looking for,  _ Blue muses, chin resting on her paws as she looks on, invisible, from her vantage point. She's laying down in a tree, on a thick, low branch perfect for watching Lance as he plays with his siblings at a playground. 

_ He's playful. Kind. Friendly. But strong, and caring, and gentle as well. A wonderful support for the team, and best friends with the Yellow Paladin.  _ Sure, Blue’s Paladin has a few self-esteem issues, and a tendency to self-destruct instead of telling others how he feels, but Blue has experience with helping people like that. She's been doing this Voltron thing for a  _ long _ time. She will coax him into trusting her (an easy task, since he's such an open person), and make sure he feels just as supported as the rest of his team when he's around. 

Blue stands and leaps down gracefully from her branch, content with everything she's seen and ready to test him in her own way. Each Lion has their preferences for the character of her Paladin, and her own method of testing them when the time comes. Blue, being the most accepting and one of the calmest Lions, has decided she will simply  _ talk _ with Lance. She needs no further proof of where his heart lies after three days of observing him. Now, she just needs his agreement. 

.oOo.

Yellow purrs contentedly as the heavenly scent of baked goods wafts to her. She has chosen a  _ wonderful  _ Paladin. He’s kind, and gentle, and caring for  _ everyone _ \- not just his own friends. An added bonus is that he bakes, which means Yellow might get treats. 

_ I’m not chubby. Just fluffy. And  hungry.  _

There's just one more thing Yellow has to do in order to secure herself a Paladin. She'll do it tonight, since it's already been three days (which is too long, if you ask her). A few tests to be sure that her Paladin’s heart is unwavering, and she'll finally ask him to help her in her task. 

.oOo.

_ He's temperamental, that's for sure,  _ Red remarks to herself as she watches the boy she's been monitoring scowl and snap at another lanky boy. Red gives Blue a greeting purr as her sister pads over, eyes locked on the taller boy, who is arguing with Red’s chosen one. They lay together, tails intertwined as they keep watchful eyes on their humans. 

_ But he has other qualities that I like more than his feistiness.  _ Things such as an ability to focus hard on a set task, or pay attention to detail while keeping in mind the whole picture. Thus far, he has only used his abilities to fix vehicles and make complicated, nonsensical boards full of ‘evidence’ of things called ‘cryptids’, but Red has faith that he will be able to apply them to other things. Blue rumbles deep in her chest, and Red responds with a similar sound. 

_ He is troubled, is he not? His aura is odd.  _

_ Indeed. It is always slightly off, but that is just how he is. We can work together to fix our Paladins.  _

_ Just like always, sister.  _

_ Just like always.  _

Blue’s Paladin leaves, and she gets up as well. Red gives her a nuzzle under the chin, and Blue follows the boy. Sitting back down, Red wraps her tail around her paws and fixes her chosen one with a steady, proud gaze.  _ I firmly believe you will live up to my expectations. But we will see about that tonight.  _ Red hopes her human will be strong enough to make it through all the tests he must take in order to gain her respect.  _ Those  _ all come tonight, while the ones to gain her  _ trust  _ will arrive in their own time. 

.oOo.

_ What a remarkable young human,  _ Green thinks appreciatively. She is already almost fully convinced that this particular human will be her Paladin, but she's still going to test them. After all, she has a feeling that this young cub hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of their true potential. They are smart, agile, determined, and sassy to boot. Green likes some spunk in her Paladins. 

Green watches with interest as the little human tinkers with their project, a little helper robot Green believes has been named Rover. It's a little  _ glitchy  _ at the moment, but Green is nonetheless excited to see it finished. 

Of course, it's kind of difficult to finish a robot when it's just run off, flailing its little arms and screeching mechanically. 

_ What an interesting mechanical creature.  _

.oOo.

Black’s gaze has always been described as  _ intense _ . At the moment, that description has never been truer as she watches the man she believes will be her new Paladin. Her eyes are frigid but determined, with a fire deep within that almost mirrors Red’s temperamental gaze. She has been following this man for three days, and she's adamant that she has seen quite enough. This human is strong, firm but kind, a natural leader and a caring teammate. It's no wonder he already has a job as a saviour of sorts. Black stands and stretches languidly, using her innate ability as a Lion of Voltron to communicate with her sisters. 

_ Have you all found your potential Paladins?  _ A chorus of affirmations respond to her question. Blue’s content and laid-back hum, Green’s chipper ‘Indeed!’. Yellow’s amused, ‘Certainly.’, and Red's immediately obedient, yet still proud, ‘Of course.’. Black's eyes wander back over to the man she's watching, sitting in his office with a frown on his face. 

_ I have found mine as well.  _ She gleans her sisters’ locations from their minds and starts running. She will visit each of them and assess their choices, and then inform Allura. Then, tonight, she will test her Paladin. It will be gruelling, but it is necessary. Besides. As a police officer, the man has no doubt already been through lots. Especially with that prosthetic. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot woot! I am having FUN with this story! Next chapter should be up fairly soonish, and I'm super excited for it! I'm having tons of fun writing pretty imagery and interesting moments into the first meetings between the Lions and their Paladins. ;)  
> Hope you guys like this chapter! Feel free to correct m eon any spelling/grammar mistakes - it's hard to write perfectly on your phone, especially when the writing is mainly done on the bus to and from school. X) Big clumsy thumbs. For those of you who may be watching for a Sinking in Your Deep Blue Sea update, I swear it's coming soon, and it's gonna have some of my very own art attached to it! :D


	3. Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All five Paladins meet their Lions for the first time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is suuuuper long, which should hopefully make up for the fact that it took so long to arrive. Sorry about that! I won't keep you any longer. Go ahead and read. (:

When Lance finally gets to sleep after finishing a huge pile of homework, his dreams are unlike any he's ever had before. He’s lucid, for one, completely in control of his thoughts and actions. But not of the scenery, he notes as he tries to envision himself elsewhere than this dark, empty expanse he's on. There are little flickers of soft blue light on the ground, and every time he takes a step, the mirror-like ebony surface beneath him ripples as if it's covered in a thin layer of water. The flickers of light respond to the movement, tiny fluorescent flecks shining bright for a moment whenever they're disturbed. His feet have halos. The light rain falling makes little bursts of light everywhere in a mesmerizing, calming pattern, and Lance chases the flashes with his eyes, distracted for a moment from his confusion. Lance has always liked the rain, and paired with these little particles, it's even better. 

“Hello?” Lance calls, feeling very small in this infinitely huge space. He doesn't feel  _ frightened,  _ like he supposes he should, rather he feels  _ welcomed _ by some unseen presence. That presence makes herself known in the form of a large, blue lioness. She appears out of nowhere in a coalescence of the little blue sparks, which whirl up and around her in a globe of water for a moment before splashing back down and guttering out to reveal a lioness. She's perfectly dry, Lance notes, and each of her paws has the same halo as Lance's feet. 

_ Greetings, Lance McClain. My name is Blue, for lack of a better title.  _ Lance stares at the lioness in a very  _ calm  _ sort of shock. She's beautiful, with sleek blue fur of all the shades of blue Lance has ever seen. It ripples as she walks, making her look like flowing water as she moves. 

“I…how do you know my name? Where am I? Am I dreaming?” The lioness chuckles warmly, the sound echoing off of nothing as she sits down in front of Lance and fixes him with amused blue eyes. 

_ I know your name because I have been keeping an eye on you for a few days now. You are in your own mind, but I would not say you're  _ _ dreaming _ _ , per se. I have invited your mind - just your mind - into my own headspace. Just your mind, your  _ _ spirit _ _ , apart from your body like this, is called your Astral form.  _ Lance nods slowly not entirely convinced but ready to take whatever this weird-ass dream lion throws at him. 

_ This is  _ _ not _ _ a dream. I am a Lion of Voltron from Altea, the Astral Realm. And  _ _ you _ _ , Lance, are my chosen Paladin. Should you agree, you will aid me in saving your world from the evil that wishes to tear it apart and steal its life force.  _ She continues before Lance can say a thing.  _ This will not interfere with your daily life. You will only fight when you are in your Astral form: When you are asleep. And you will have a team of four other Paladins with you to help in battle.  _ Lance frowns. 

“I…I dunno. I'm not…I don't know how to fight. I can't be a ‘Paladin’. I'm not that special.” The lioness lets out a low disappointed rumble. 

_ Don't sell yourself short, Lance. I would not be asking you if you were not special, or worthy, or capable of  _ _ learning _ _ how to fight.  _ Lance meets the lioness’ gaze, and she stands.  _ Come with me. I will show you what will be required of you should you accept. You may choose afterwards.  _ Lance bites his lip, but then sighs and walks beside the lioness as she leaves. He may as well go. This is the nicest dream he's had in a rather long time, and it would suck to cut it short. 

Their footsteps leave a trail of scintillating blue fireflies in their wake.

.oOo.

Hunk falls asleep almost as soon as he lays down, eyes slipping closed as his consciousness drifts away. It returns sharply, and Hunk’s eyes snap open as it does, but what he sees upon opening his eyes is not the ceiling of his room. And he was not, despite how it felt, woken up. Just reunited with his lucid mind in whatever place he's in now. 

Wherever it is, it's warm and cozy, the ground soft and unstable beneath his feet. He looks down to find bare feet, toes sinking into a golden surface that shifts with his movements like sand. It's disconcerting,especially paired with his surroundings. The shimmering ‘sand’ continues in all directions around him, perfectly flat and undisturbed, going on to infinity and mirrored by a robin’s-egg blue sky that is just as infinite as the ground below it. There's no visible sun or source of light, however it's perfectly light out - bright enough that he can see, but without a defined source, so the metallic sand doesn't reflect into his eyes. 

“Uh…where am I?” Hunk asks of no one in particular. He's still, for some reason, slightly disappointed when he gets no answer. 

Seconds of absolute silence pass, Hunk peering around him in mildly concerned confusion. Then, a wind kicks up, stirring the sand and throwing clouds of shimmering gold into the air. Hunk covers his eyes with his arm, squeezing his eyes shut to protect them from the stinging particles. As the wind dies down, Hunk peers through his lashes to see what's happening. The sand settles, revealing a lioness with fur just as golden as the sand. Her fur is sleek but still somehow fluffy, and Hunk is struck with an intense desire to pet it. The lioness pads closer, wide paws barely sinking into the sand. Her huge head butts against his side, and Hunk can hear her purring loudly. Then, he hears her voice in his head. 

_ Please do pet me. I will explain why we are here, and who I am, while we relax. Lord knows we both need it.  _ Hunk doesn't question the powerfully built creature, sitting himself down in the sand and grinning as she lays down next to him with her slightly chubby belly pressed against his leg. It's a cozy position, and Hunk absently strokes the lioness’ thick fur as she starts to ‘talk’. 

_ This world of yours, the Physical Plane, needs protectors.  _ Hunk starts, ans she shushes him before continuing with all the patience of an experienced mother.  _ Hush. Let me speak. There is a race of creatures from the Shadow Realm called the Galra who wish to spread their darkness across all of the planes. Myself and my four sisters have chosen Paladins to aid us in keeping the Galra under control. You, Hunk, are my chosen Paladin. Compassionate, strong, and welcoming, you are a perfect fit for the title of Yellow Paladin. Should you agree to be a part of Voltron, I will test you on your values and skills.  _ She finishes talking and looks up at Hunk with big, tawny eyes. Hunk stammers out some sort of noncommittal, panicking a little in the face of such a big choice. 

“I, uh, I dunno. I mean, I'm not…I can't fight. Not the best choice for this ‘Voltron’, ‘Paladin’ thing.” The Lioness lets out a rumbling chuckle, nudging his hand with her head. 

_ I chose you not because you are a fighter, Hunk, but because you have the potential to  _ _ become _ _ one. Of course, being the Yellow Paladin means your biggest duty will be to take care of your fellow Paladins mentally. Yellow and Blue are the legs of Voltron, the supports.  _ Hunk chuckles nervously. 

“That, uh, still sounds like a lot of responsibility…” He is fixed with a steady, calming gaze, gentle golden eyes boring into his and seeing all the way into his soul. 

_ You are capable. Perhaps the responsibility and pressure of being a Paladin will aid you in being a chef? That is not the most laid-back of jobs.  _ Her tone is knowing, her tail flicking lazily from side to side as she senses Hunk being swayed to agree.  _ You will be  _ _ helping _ _ people, Hunk.  _ And that's it, the final straw, the little tidbit of information that tips Hunk off the fence. 

“I--yeah, okay. I'll give it a try, I guess. As long as I don't have to do any real fighting.” The lioness cannot promise that he won't have to fight, so she says nothing and instead stretches, noticing in mild amusement how Hunk’s gaze fixes itself on her claws. She moves in front of him and sits down, making herself look as regal as she can after just having been  _ petted _ . 

_ Now. Please be as honest and shameless as possible. I have some questions for you…  _

.oOo.

The first thing Keith notices upon falling asleep is that he's lucid dreaming. It takes a moment, dream mentality slowing his mind and stretching seconds into eternities, but once he realizes fully, everything snaps into focus, and it's as if he's awake again. Except the place he's in is nothing one could ever find in reality. The ground he's standing on is black, and it gives slightly under his feet. It's reminiscent of that weird playground material supposedly made of recycled tires that Keith always found mildly unstable-feeling and too stinky for his liking. It definitely  _ smelled  _ like hot rubber. Keith takes a few steps forwards out of curiosity and looks back. The ground isn't hot, not even  _ warm  _ from what he can feel through the soles of his shoes, but as he looks back at the lonely imprints of his feet, he notes that where they're pressed into the surface, cracks have formed and a fiery orange bleeds through like the slivers of fire one sees when poking through a shell of cooled lava to the molten stuff beneath. This strange detail spurs Keith to look more closely at his surroundings, and he is instantly stricken with awe as he notices what's lighting the area. Big, glowing flakes are drifting like fluffy snow on a breezeless day, sparks from some huge fire illuminating the land with an ethereal orange glow. A couple of these pieces of ash float towards Keith, and he recoils from the assumed heat. But the air currents from his motion pull the flakes closer even faster than before, and they fade into darkness as they crumple against his skin. They're not hot, giving no burning sensation like Keith had been expecting. Instead, one is comfortably warm, and the other feels  _ cool  _ against his arm. Feeling bored, and intrigued by these sparks, Keith makes it a game to catch as many as possible, grinning in this private moment at the sensations of the sparks. He stops when all of the sparks disappear, streaking through the air to coalesce into a whirling cloud of fire before exploding outwards and returning to their erratic flurries. In their wake, they leave behind a lioness, red fur rippling like fire as she pads towards Keith on silent paws. A glowing trail of pawprints follows the powerful beast as her eyes bore holes into Keith's. When she speaks, her voice in Keith's mind is just as commanding and proud as he'd expect. 

_ Keith. Welcome, young one.  _ Keith automatically takes on a wider stance, eyeing the lioness with wary awe, and she chuckles in amusement.  _ I mean you no harm. I have chosen you to be my ‘owner’, my Paladin, and it would be foolish of me to betray your trust by hurting you this early on.  _ Keith raises an eyebrow, the choice of words not giving him much faith in the lioness. He relaxes slightly nonetheless, figuring he may as well try not to be rude to the rather large predator in easy pouncing distance from him.  _ Smart choice. Although I  _ _ am _ _ offended that you still think I'm going to eat you.  _ Keith grimaces, none too thrilled with the fact that this being can read his mind. 

“Okay, whatever. I can deal with a psychic lion. But I want to know what a ‘Paladin’ is, and why it applies to me.”

_ Straight to the point. Wonderful. Paladins are protectors. They guard the human world from evil beings called Galra, who appear at night to maim and destroy everything that is not theirs - everything they wish to claim by ruining it, staining it with their darkness. Should you agree to be my Paladin and join Voltron, you will go about your waking days as always, however once you fall asleep, your Astral form will separate from your physical and you will fight until you wake.  _ Keith's brows furrow as he imagines this, and the lioness senses his hesitance.  _ There  _ _ will _ _ be danger. But you have never shied away from a fight, and you've been restless recently, haven't you? Perhaps being a Paladin will grant you a way to release your frustration…?  _ Keith raises an eyebrow, his unsure expression melting into a smirk. 

“What happened to being able to read my mind? You should already know that my answer was a yes from the start.” The lioness looks smug, a glint of something like pride in her crimson eyes. 

_ Good. I can already tell you have the makings of a strong Red Paladin. But to prove it to me, you will need to make it through my test. You are armed with that blade you love so much.  _ And with that, the floor drops out from under Keith's feet, and the lukewarm ‘lava’ envelops him. The last thing he hears before he's plunged into an entirely different scenario are two words spoken in the red lioness’ melodic voice.  _ Good luck. _

.oOo. 

Keith grips his weapon tighter, shifting the blade in his hand until it feels well-balanced like he's used to, like it's an extension of his arm and not an unwieldy thing like other daggers he's held. There's something about this mysterious knife - supposedly from his mother - that feels more like home than any house he's lived in before. And Keith has done a  _ lot  _ of training in order to be able to use it, solo sparring or hand-to-hand practice with various tutors. So he feels pretty confident as featureless humanoids appear before him, weaponless and ready to fight Keith. 

Minutes later, Keith is no longer so confident. All that training he's done is for naught as he's smacked down yet again, luck non-existent and the chances of him winning shrinking yet further while he tumbles along the floor. Picking himself up with difficulty, Keith snatches his dagger from the floor and charges with a pained growl.

It takes him a very long time, but he eventually manages to beat all five opponents. Panting heavily and woozy from his many minor wounds, Keith staggers one step forwards before falling, vision blurring and going black around the edges alarmingly. The surface on which he lands is black, and slightly squishy. It's warm against his skin, little orange sparks settling on him like snow as a loud purring meets his ears soothingly. A large, wet nose nudges Keith into a semi-upright position, a paw helping to position him against the huge lioness’ side. She purrs more, and Keith feels better somehow. Managing to find the energy to look around, Keith watches in a daze as the bruises and cuts on his bare arms fade, healing before his eyes. 

_ You did well. I'm proud of you, my Paladin. Now, stay still and let me heal you.  _ A big, rough feline tongue licks a stripe up Keith's face, and the bruises there disappear just as fast as the saliva dries. 

“Thanks, uh…” Keith murmurs drowsily, and the purring gets louder, vibrations resonating all through his body. 

_ I believe my given name is Red, but that's boring. Name me yourself. Think on it while you're awake…I will see you tomorrow night.  _ And with that, Keith wakes up to the sound of a crow shrieking outside his bedroom window. 

.oOo.

Pidge falls asleep far quicker than usual, getting barely ten minutes to ponder what to do about Rover’s behaviour before she's out like a light. The next thing she knows, she's lying down on something cold, damp, and waxy. The soft sound of lapping waves intrigues Pidge, and she sits up to look around. She can't suppress the awed gasp that sneaks out of her throat upon seeing where she is. The surface she's sitting on is none other than a gigantic leaf, the veins running through it as wide around as Pidge’s thumb, some even larger. Not too far away, a huge flower sits atop the leaf, and it strikes Pidge that the sound of water is against the edge of this leaf. 

“A lily pad…?” Pidge stands, and jumps, trying to get a better view. Sure enough, this green expanse is a single, gargantuan lily pad. It's beautiful in a completely bizarre way, the soft golden light of a sunset bathing everything and glinting off the immense yet minute waves barely shifting the plant Pidge is standing on. Curious and enthralled by this insane dream she's having, Pidge wanders over to the flower and strokes one petal, the thing feeling thick instead of delicate as she's used to. Then, she wipes her hand on her pants with a grimace. As cool as it is to be tiny, everything looks  _ really _ gross this close. And Pidge has never been a big fan of nature at its  _ normal  _ proportions. She climbs the flower anyways, the petals bending under her weight but holding until Pidge is balancing on the uppermost petals and looking out on the rest of the pond. Her gaze is drawn to movement, lily pads sinking and throwing waves into the water as something small, fast, and green dashes from plant to plant, making a  beeline for Pidge. She starts, heart racing, and scrambles to get down from her perch, hoping to maybe dive underwater and escape whatever this thing is. It appears to be staying  _ on _ the lily pads, which means Pidge will be safer  _ beneath _ them. A placating, melodic voice in her mind gives her pause. 

_ At ease, young one. I do not wish to hurt you, only to talk. I find speaking is easier when next to the one you're speaking with.  _ Pidge frowns at the message, and then grimaces and keeps climbing down, not trusting random voices in her head. Upon feeling solid leaf beneath her feet, Pidge looks up - and shrieks as her eyes meet directly with a pair of much larger, bright green eyes. Landing on her butt, Pidge quakes with nerves as her brain connects the eyes to the rest of the body they belong to. A lion - er, lion _ ess  _ \- with fur just as green as the lily pad they're both on. A breeze kicks up and ruffles the beast’s fur, reminding Pidge of a field of rippling grass. 

“Oh, shit.” Pidge mutters, holding as still as possible and holding gazes with the majestic feline. 

_ Do not be afraid, love. I am not your enemy. I am here to talk, and propose to you a job of sorts.  _ Pidge blinks, frowning. 

“Wait. Are  _ you  _ talking to me? The lioness?” The big cat nods, a purr rumbling in her throat as she lies down and rests her huge head on Pidge’s lap. 

_ My name is Green, but you may call me whatever you like. Green is a poor name for anything, let alone a lion.  _ Pidge chuckles at that, humming pensively for a moment before grinning and chirping a cheeky, 

“How about Lily? That seems like a better name.”

_ And it's where we met. Very good. I shall be Lily, then. Your name is Pidge, is it not?  _ Pidge nods. 

“Yeah, it is. Wait. Didn't you say you wanted to talk? And offer me a job or something?” 

_ Indeed. But I would rather walk and talk. Besides,  _ _ you _ _ are getting rather wet where you are.  _ Pidge glances down and curses as she realizes she's sitting in a puddle. Lily stands along with Pidge, bumping up against Pidge’s hip and telling her to get on her back. Pidge clambers on, wrapping her arms around Lily's neck and pressing a cheek to her soft fur. She may not have known the lioness for very long, but she already trusts her immensely. For while Lily can see into Pidge’s mind, the bond is open so that Pidge can see into Lily's as well. And Pidge has seen nothing even  _ remotely _ bad so far. Lily starts running, and Pidge lets out an involuntary whoop of exhilaration, elated by the speed of the lion. Then, Lily leaps for the next lily pad, and Pidge shrieks as they soar through the air, impossibly high and impossibly far. Pidge manages to rein in her excitement for the next few jumps, but her legs are still shaky when she clambers off of Lily's back once they reach the shore. Shaking out her sore, tense arms from clutching Lily's neck, Pidge giggles with quickly waning residual exhilaration. 

“That was  _ awesome!”  _ The lioness chuckles, amused by how excited her Paladin is. 

_ Walk with me now. We must discuss why I have contacted you here.  _ Pidge sobers up, nodding curtly and starting to meander through the grass with Lily. The grass is taller than Pidge, and each blade is thicker than one of her legs, but the space between each blade is big enough that the grass could be considered a forest. 

“Go ahead. Tell me what you need to - I'm listening.” An approving hum sounds in Pidge’s head, and then Lily launches into an explanation. 

Perhaps twenty minutes later, Pidge and Lily are relaxing amongst the silky-soft petals of a particularly large dandelion, still talking. Lily has moved on from questions related to becoming a Paladin, and is now testing Pidge on intelligence - just for fun. Riddles and questions just keep coming, and Pidge answers them avidly. It's right in the middle of explaining how Rover works that Pidge yawns, and her body blurs around the edges. Lily shushes her calmly and stands, stretching. 

_ You are waking up. I will see you tomorrow night, my Paladin. Hopefully we can chat like this again sometime soon.  _ Pidge doesn't have time to respond before vertigo hits her in a sickening wave and she snaps awake, sprawled on her couch with her computer still running, too warm on her belly. 

.oOo.

For a moment after Shiro falls asleep, there is a blissful, oblivious darkness. Then, little lights start appearing, stars flickering into existence as Shiro looks on, and as more appear and they get closer to him, he realizes that he is in space. Clouds of vibrantly coloured gases form and more stars burst onto the ebony canvas. It's surreal, and not exactly true to waking life, but it's also breathtakingly beautiful. Finally looking down, Shiro gasps and almost falls as he sees nothing beneath his feet. But there is undoubtedly something  _ there _ , it's just invisible. Shifting his stance tentatively, Shiro bends down so the light from the nearest star reflects off of the transparent surface. And it's a  _ bridge,  _ a thin one that stretches off into the distance to join with another ball of flame. As Shiro stands, light catches on all the other bridges perfectly, forming the momentary image of  _ hundreds _ of these bridges spanning the gaps between celestial bodies, shimmering like spider silk and appearing just as delicate. The scale of it is dizzying, and Shiro has to tear his eyes away. They land on something completely unexpected. A lioness, jet black with fur that shimmers ethereally, speckled with white pinpricks - like stars. Shiro jumps away, swearing and falling over as the bridge sways precariously. The lioness sits down where she is, stormy grey eyes boring into Shiro’s in an unmistakably regal, commanding gaze. 

_ At ease. I am not your enemy.  _ A deep, feminine voice echoes in Shiro’s mind, quiet but brooking no argument.  _ You, Shiro, have been chosen to be my Paladin, to fight against the vile Galra alongside other Paladins and their Lions.  _ Shiro’s eyes widen, small sputtering protests coming out of his mouth as he tries to process the sudden information.  _ You do not have much of a choice. It is rare I find such a suitable Paladin, and I do not intend to allow you to shirk the destiny you have been handed by whatever higher beings led me to find you.  _ Shiro stands up, brow furrowing as he runs his left hand through the tuft of unnaturally white hair lying in the center of his forehead. 

“I…I understand that, but what do you mean by ‘Paladin’? And what are ‘Galra’?” The lioness stands and pads towards Shiro a few steps. 

_ Follow me. I have something to show you.  _ And saying that, she leaps off the edge of the bridge. Swallowing down his apprehension and deciding to trust this lion - at least for  _ this _ dream - Shiro steps out into the space next to the bridge and jumps blindly after the softly glowing lioness. He sincerely hopes that if he misses whatever she's landed on, he wakes up before he hits something else. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVED creating the mindscapes of the Lions! They're so ethereal and pretty to imagine... I hope I managed to impart some of the image I created in my mind for each one to you guys!  
> Please tell me if there are any spelling/grammar errors, I want to fix the ones I didn't catch! I'm writing this on my phone, so my clumsy thumbs have likely created some crazy spelling mistakes.


	4. First Encounters

    For the entirety of the next day Lance can't take his mind off of his bizarre and dubiously real dream. He'd been told a _lot_ of stuff by the lioness, and somehow he'd retained it when he woke up. Unlike most of his dreams. Of course, most of his dreams are also way more _nonsensical_ than last night's, and he's never too put out that he can't remember them. The memory of pleasantly cool rain falling, landing with melodic splashes and blue flashes, makes Lance yearn for a good rain. He _loves_ rain, and the sprinkler in his backyard just isn't the same as the earthy scent and soothing patter of a grey-cloud, cold-in-the-summer, _bona fide_ rainy day. Heck, he'd even be cool with a thunderstorm. Lance forces himself to tear his eyes from the classroom window and focus on his English teacher, a strict yet oblivious woman who is currently deeply entrenched in explaining how to properly use the term ‘had had’. Half the class is on their phones, a few are doodling or straight-up _making art_ (one girl has a set of Copics out and is colouring something with a look of intense concentration on her face), and there are some guys at the back chatting quietly next to the couple who are _constantly_ flirting or making out back there. The Garrison may be a school for the Arts, but there are a few mandatory core subjects the students have to keep up on, and 99% of the students resent that they must _learn_ stuff rather than pursuing their chosen art. Lance starts taking notes as he shoves away his thoughts of lions and rain, gladly taking the extra help with his English. He may be completely fluent in the language - it being his first - but some of the intricacies still confound him. ‘Had had’ being one of them. _Just one more class, and then I can go see Hunk. Just gotta get through Math._ Far easier said than done.

.oOo. 

    Hunk almost rolls his eyes as Lance, oh so predictable Lance comes bounding into the cafeteria as soon as the bell rings to signal the end of his last class. Every day like clockwork at the end of the day, Lance races down to the cafeteria, chats with Hunk as he buys whatever looks the tastiest, and then dashes off to practice his ballet until Hunk is done working and cleaning up the kitchen with the other culinary students. Sure enough Lance makes a beeline for Hunk, cheerfully greeting him with a cheeky,

“Hey, Hunkules! What goodies’ve you got for me today?” Hunk dutifully points at the confection he thinks suits Lance's tastes the best today - an overly sweet chocolate-vanilla-coffee something in a little plastic cup. Not one of the fancy ones for sure, but delicious nonetheless and cheap enough for Lance. As Hunk grabs the dessert from the display case and rings up the total in the register, Lance yammers about something Hunk isn't really listening to. He catches something about lions, which doesn't help his concentration get back to where it should be (with his best friend), instead leading him to ponder over his adventure last night. He'd chatted for what seemed like forever with the golden lioness, whom he'd dubbed Goldie, about Voltron, baking, human culture, anything. Then, a wind had kicked up the shimmering sand, Hunk had screwed up his eyes to protect them from the sharp particles, and when he reopened them, he was staring at his wall with three minutes left until his alarm. He can see the lioness now, lounging atop the cupboards of the kitchen with an interested look accompanying her purring, tail flicking back and forth as she watches everyone putter around. Absently waving goodbye to Lance as the energetic teen departs, Hunk starts cleaning the kitchen with his head in the clouds. He doesn't think he's ever been _this excited_ and simultaneously apprehensive to go to sleep before. He hopes he'll be able to focus long enough to do his homework tonight.

.oOo. 

    Keith brushes his bangs from his face without thinking, grimacing when he realizes that he's just smeared oil across his forehead. _Whatever. My bangs’ll cover that up. They're getting pretty long._ He supposes he should probably get a haircut, but he can't bring himself to pick up the phone and make an appointment. He _hates_ phone calls, greatly dislikes interacting with humans, and despises the overly chatty hairdressers he always seems to get. Being a mechanic is great - for the most part, no one bothers him aside from the initial business conversation. Notice, he said _for the most part._ There is _one_ customer, Lance McClain, who never goes away, and never shuts up, even if Keith is actively fixing stuff under his car. Said car is a beat-up, barely running blue piece of junk, but the guy just won't let it go. Something about it being passed down from so-and-so and still reliable enough to be used. That second point is hard to believe when the damn thing is back in the shop every month or so with another plethora of problems to fix.

Not that Keith is complaining all that much. He gets paid, he chats with Lance, and…he'd never admit it, but he often ends up staring at Lance. Because that annoying asshole manages to look _good_ in his habitual blue jeans, t-shirt, and baggy, shapeless jacket.

Keith glances up from the tools he's currently cleaning, out the open garage door to the tree across the small parking lot. A large red lioness lounges on one of the low, sturdy branches, meditatively sharpening her claws by raking them across the bark like some oversized cat scratching post. She notices his eyes on her and lets out a low rumble of greeting that Keith can somehow hear over the noisy highway beyond the parking lot and the tall chain link fence that is perpetually clogged with trash.

 **_You are not physically hearing me. Remember?_ ** Keith jolts as the lioness’ voice reminds him of the mind link they have now. Her tone is amused.

 _Right. Yeah._ Keith gets back to cleaning, hoping without much faith that another customer will arrive soon. The downside of working in a small repair shop is that there's only a small group of people who know about it, and oftentimes he spends large portions of the day doing a whole lot of nothing. As he starts cleaning up his work space, Keith glances at the lioness again, momentarily startled as he perceives her rippling fur amongst the branches as fire. She leaps down gracefully and pads over to keep him company,earning a small smile from Keith.

 **_So. Tell me about this Lance._ ** Keith's smile fades into a disgruntled look.

 _What?!_ Red purrs encouragingly.

 **_Come on. I need gossip._ ** Keith brushes a hand across the back of his neck, trying to dispel the embarrassed flush he knows is on his cheeks.

_I…Uh…fine._

.oOo. 

    Pidge sees the creature on the way home from school. It's hiding from the sun in the deep shadows in a closed-ended alley, tucked behind a Dumpster and peering out with bright yellow eyes. It's grotesque from what Pidge can see, scaly purple skin dotted with patches of greasy, matted fur. It seems to melt into the darkness as it shifts on clawed, misshapen feet reminiscent of a human's but not quite that _normal_.

“What the hell…” Pidge gasps, and the beast’s bat- or cat-like ears twitch to hear her better. Its mouth opens, lips drawing back to bare sharp teeth accompanied by long, threatening canines. Lily brushes against Pidge’s leg suddenly and Pidge yelps in fright before realizing who it is. The lioness stares down the creature, and as she speaks her eyes never leave it.

 ** _That is a Galra. A lower-level one. The higher power a Galra is…the more human it looks. Of course they will always look like bats. Vile creatures._** Her ear flicks as her tail swishes back and forth predatorily. **_Look away, young cub. You don't need to see this in the light of day._** Pidge dutifully looks away, and cringes as the sound of flesh tearing accompanies a dying keen from the Galra.

“I'm gonna have to kill those things?” Pidge murmurs to Lily as the lioness returns. The feline licks her paws and then follows Pidge as she starts walking home again.

 ** _Yes. You will have whatever weapon suits you and your fighting style the best. You will have a team of other Paladins to aid you and comfort you should you become upset. And you will have the help of myself and my sisters, not to mention our queen and royal advisor. Do not worry._** Pidge nods thoughts racing through her mind. Lily clears her throat distractingly in her mind, promptly getting to distracting the teen. **_Tell me - how is that amusing robot of yours doing? Last I saw, it had escaped…screaming._** Pidge’s somber mood dissipates as she laughs.

_Oh, yeah. Rover’s…feisty. I think I've worked out the source of the bug though. It's in the…_

Lily must admit she cannot understand what Pidge is saying, and is not quite paying attention, but hearing her speak so animatedly is wonderful. So the leaf-green lioness lets her human talk.

.oOo. 

    It doesn't take Shiro nearly as long to fall asleep as it usually does. It's a relief, really - he needs a good night’s sleep, especially if he's going to be fighting bad guys at night _and_ during the day now. Although…being a policeman is pretty uneventful, all in all. This isn't a terribly crime-wracked city, and Shiro’s position on the force gives him more paperwork than actual action.

It _does_ deprive him of sleep, though. All that paperwork and organization plus the rigours of having and taking care of an expensive and advanced prosthetic arm means less time in the day to relax than he'd like.

…And PTSD is a _bitch._

.oOo. 

    Allura waits impatiently for night to fall in the human realm. Time passes much differently for her, and one of _their_ days is only _half_ of one of _her_ days - nonetheless, Allura is anxious, and those few hours pass like molasses despite Coran’s attempts to preoccupy her with cleaning and preparations. At last, the Lions bound into view over the horizon, arriving to her side supernaturally fast. Allura takes her place on her throne, the lions arranging themselves around her regally.

The Green Lion reacts first, lifting her head from her paws with a knowing hum and a small smile as her Paladin falls asleep. The Green Paladin appears a moment later, a small form in a suit of green-accented armour popping into existence before Allura. She is bewildered at first, but catches on quickly.

“Oh! I'm in the Astral Realm!” she says in an excited, if a little distorted, voice. The helmets tend to muffle and warp voices, even through the comms. Allura nods to her, and speaks in her best ‘leader’ voice.

“Greetings, Paladin. Save your introductions until all the Paladins have arrived.” The Paladin nods and sits down, cross-legged like a child.

The Red Paladin is next, Red letting out a welcoming purr as a taller male appears. He is on edge immediately, but he relaxes quickly once he sees Red. He remains standing, casting a few not-so-discreet glances at the Green Paladin. The helmets cut off a lot of peripheral vision. Allura makes a note to fix that soon.

Yellow purrs loudly, vibrating with sound as the Yellow Paladin shows up. He's quite a bit _larger_ than the other Paladins but Allura is not one to judge. He will make a wonderful tank for the team. Reminding all the gathered Paladins to hold off on introductions, Allura settles back into her chair and drums her long nails on the armrest. This appears to irritate the Red Paladin, who tenses up, and Allura stops.

The Green Paladin is doodling on the ground when the Black Paladin enters, a confused man with black armour. Once he gets his bearings, the Black Lion nods to him, tail flicking as she unsheathes her claws possessively. _Mine,_ she says silently. _Mine alone._ Yellow is nervously amused by this behaviour, Red dismisses it with an eyeroll, Green laughs (an odd, stuttering purring sound) at it, and Blue is just exasperated. _We know,_ she retorts by nudging Black with her head. _Yours._

After a while of everyone standing or sitting around awkwardly, the Red Paladin is fed up.

“Are we gonna _do_ anything?! Why are we just standing here silently?!” he blurts angrily. Allura straightens from her bored slouch, accent coming out full force as she speaks sharply to the impatient Paladin.

“We are waiting for the Blue Paladin. It appears he is having difficulty getting to sleep.” The Red Paladin isn't at all assuaged by this, and is about to protest again when the final Paladin appears. He is disoriented, and then he meets gazes with the Blue Lion and hops excitedly.

“Cool!” The Yellow Paladin starts at his voice, hesitating before shaking his head and settling back down. The Red Paladin also seems momentarily shocked, and Allura almost lets a smirk through her stony expression. The Lions were not exaggerating when they told her all of the new Paladins were irrevocably interconnected. Allura stands up then, commanding their attention with that simple act.

“Greetings, Paladins. My name is Allura. I ask you not to share your names with each other, ever. Previous Paladins have encountered…difficulties…in their waking lives due to their knowledge of the identities of their comrades. You may address each other by colour, and your Lions by whatever name you have given them. Your helmets hide your face while also providing a special filter to allow you to see Galra in the dark. Your armour protects you from most damage, and in the holster at your right hips you will find your weapons.” The Paladins all reach for their hips, finding nothing there but more small lights embedded in their armour. Confusion ensues, Allura waiting patiently and with amusement sparkling in her eyes for one of them to find the holster. Finally, Blue summons his Bayard, gasping in delight as he pats his hip and the weapon materializes. The others catch on quickly, soon getting ahold of their own Bayards.

“What exactly are we supposed to do with these…?” Yellow asks, inspecting the thus-far useless, blunt ‘weapon’. Allura shakes her head.

“Wait. They are analyzing you, and deciding what weapon will suit you best. They should adapt right…about…now.” True to her guess, the Bayards start changing forms. Black’s weapon is a sort of spear, one light enough to throw but sturdy enough to use as a melee weapon as well. Red’s is a sword, one-handed judging by the handle. He seems pleased by this. Green’s bayard barely changes, minute modifications turning it into what Allura recognizes as a grappling hook equipped with a tazer. Blue gets a sniper rifle, which he looks over with a whistle of appreciation. Yellow also receives a gun, but his is a large one made for shorter range, higher power, and little to no precise aim. Definitely a tank-class weapon. She glances at the Lions, who are all waiting expectantly for their role in this meeting. So Allura clears her throat, and instructs the Paladins to put away their Bayards. They acquiesce, Bayards disappearing in whirls of light into their holsters. Once they're lined up all orderly again, being a little more fidgety than before, Allura calls attention to Coran, who has been standing quietly next to the throne. He gladly steps up and starts talking in somewhat the same accent as Allura - one that sounds entirely different with his voice.

“The Princess has told you to refer to each other by colour. Which means your Lions need names! Starting with Black and moving down the line, let's name our Lions, shall we?” He's shockingly chipper, especially after Allura’s calm, commanding tone. Black starts, unprepared, but speaks calmly once he's collected himself.

“Her name is Nova. Short for Supernova.” Nova is happy with that, purring encouragingly and stretching languidly to show off her star-speckled fur before she pads over to her Paladin and stands proudly beside him. Green is next, and she confidently calls forth Lily, who lies down next to her with what can only be describes as a smirk. She, of course, thinks that _her_ Paladin is the best. All the other Lions disagree. Yellow follows, sounding happy as he says,

“Goldie.” The Lion in question gives his helmet a bug lick, her paws on his shoulders as he struggles to stay upright. She then sits down next to him, leaning into him lovingly. The Yellow Lion has always gotten attached to her Paladin very fast. She's very trusting, and very strong and motherly. Red seems puzzled for a second, thinking hard before straightening up.

“Ruby.” The Red Lion doesn't move. “Come _on, Ruby._ That's your _name._ ” Red says, annoyed. The lioness’ tail flicks and she stays where she is. Allura smirks at her stubbornness.”It appears she dislikes that name.” Red sputters angrily, ands going up in an incredulous gesture. He cycles through a few other names, getting progressively _worse_ at this as his Lion sits unresponsively. Then, he pauses, calms down a little, and guesses,

“Ember?” The lioness nods, picking herself up and sitting next to the Paladin as he sighs in relief. Ember chuckles at his exasperation. Blue laughs too, elbowing Red playfully.

“You got a feisty one, eh?” Red answers with unimpressed silence and a small step away from Blue, who wilts poutily. He cheers up in a moment, popping back upright with a chirp of, “Iluvia. Come gimme a hug, hot stuff.” He speaks to his Lion flirtily, and she purrs loudly and pounces on him playfully in a hug, lapping at his helmet as he laughs infectiously. Once everyone has calmed down, Allura gets their attention once more.

“We do not have much time remaining tonight, so I will allow you to sleep fully. Be prepared for tomorrow night. And _please -_ go to sleep on time.” Blue fidgets sheepishly at that. The Lions pad silently to surround Allura again, and with the fuzzy, distant feeling of dozing off, the Paladins sink into dreamless slumbers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter at last! Don't be discouraged by my unpredictable, unexplained hiatuses. I'm just lazy and drowning in schoolwork. Also writer's block...is a bitch... :/


End file.
